For those who aspire to be better leaders, the good news is that leaders are both born and made.       Leading an organization or just a team is a very complex process and while there are people who are born with some of the tools necessary such as math acumen or the predisposition to be a bold, risk-taker it is unreasonable to assume that anyone is born with all the skills necessary to be an effective leader. 

One of the most important qualities of a successful leader in 2020 is social or emotional intelligence which is a skill that helps a leader understand his/her followers.    Social or emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of one’s own and other’s feelings in the moment and use that information to lead.   Experts believe that 85 percent of a leader’s results can be attributed to social or emotional intelligence and that IQ plays a much smaller role in success.

We can build our social and emotional intelligence by becoming better listeners and paying attention to cues given during a conversation.   One suggestion is to practice just listening to what someone is saying rather than mentally preparing a response while they are still speaking and then ask that person thoughtful questions.

Another way to build social or emotional intelligence is to observe and study the interactions of others.   For example, during meetings and other interactions looking at the people and noticing who talks to whom and how people respond to each other can provide great insight into the group dynamic and help a leader create a collaborative, team-oriented environment that empowers everyone.

The good news for those looking to improve their leadership skills is that Social intelligence can be learned.   There are many books and classes available to help individuals improve this important skill.